


I didn't know that it was so cold

by SailorChibi



Series: all you wanted verse [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Apologies, Awesome Darcy Lewis, Baker Bucky, Baking, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Clint Barton & Tony Stark Friendship, Clint is an enabler, Cuddling, Depressed Steve, Depressed Steve Rogers, Desserts, Domestic Avengers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Food Porn, Hugging, M/M, Making Up, Miscommunication, Multi, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Polyamorous Soulmates, Polyamory, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Stubborn Bucky, Stubborn Steve, Team Feels, Team as Family, Threesome - F/M/M, Threesome - M/M/M, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, flustered Tony, poor tony is stuck in the middle, smol tony, steve rogers also needs a kick in the head, tiny tony, tony is just trying to help, tony stark is a precious angel, tony stark is trying so hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-05-26 04:58:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6224899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For their six month anniversary, Tony buys Bucky a bakery. He has no way of knowing what kind of upset a simple gift could cause; thanks to his admittedly over-inflated sense of generosity, he might have just broken up one of the best things that's ever happened to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hadn't intended on writing this sequel, but then Marvel pissed me off with their CW bullshit. Sooooooooo...

"I bought you a bakery."

Most people would probably respond to that statement with something eloquent. Given that it's just past midnight, they've been fighting for two days straight, and Bucky's eyes aren't all the way open anymore, he considers the confused, "Huh?" he gets out to be perfectly adequate.

"It's our six month anniversary," Tony says, still brandishing keys in front of Bucky's face. He looks as tired and beat up as the rest of them, especially now that he's out of the armor, but strangely excited. Or nervous, it's hard to tell. "Yours and Steve's and mine, I mean. So I bought you a bakery just down the street from Stark Tower. It's been fully renovated with a state of the art kitchen and I have my best interior designer on standby to decorate it however you want."

Bucky dumbly holds his hand up, letting Tony drop the shiny keys into his palm. He stares at them, well aware of the eyes on them. Natasha and Coulson have the kindness to at least pretend they're not paying attention; Thor, Bruce, Steve and even Clint, who is supposed to be focused on flying the quinjet, are all openly watching them. Tony clears his throat, his face faintly pink, and turns to Steve next.

"I wasn't sure what to get you. But I realized the other day I never went through my dad's old shit to see what was left of your stuff. He collected a lot of it, you know, and I figured you'd want to have it. So that's what I've been doing over the past week. I went through every box, gathered up whatever I thought you'd want to have, and had it sent to your floor at the tower. It should be there now. There's lots of pictures of Aunt Peggy, and some of my dad and your old team, and -"

"Tony, thank you," Steve says, standing up and pulling Tony into a warm hug. His eyes meet Bucky's over the top of Tony's head, and Bucky knows exactly what he's thinking. Neither of them got anything for Tony.

Well, okay. A little part of Bucky is also wondering what the fuck he's gonna do with a bakery.

"It was nothing," Tony mumbles, and it never ceases to amaze Bucky how humble Tony can be. Everyone's first impression of Tony Stark is that the guy never shuts up, and he definitely never stops gushing about how awesome his work is. But few people realize just how little Tony talks about himself seriously; his comments, if they're not self-deprecating, are always meant to be taken as jokes. He talks and talks to deflect away from what really matters, and that's how Bucky knows exactly how difficult it was for Tony to go through those boxes.

He gets up too and lets the gentle sway of the quinjet bring him closer, until he can wrap his own arms around his partners. "Thanks," he says quietly. "But I don't know what I'm supposed to do with a bakery."

Tony cracks a smile. "You bake and you sell. So basically what you do now, except you charge people money."

"Except for your loyal teammates," Clint says quickly, looking panicked at the thought that he might not get Bucky's homemade sweets for free. "You know, the ones who save your ass on a regular basis?"

"Don't worry," says Tony, "he'll need taste testers."

Clint whoops and turns back around to look out the windshield. Bucky rolls his eyes and puts his head down on Tony's hair, thinking. A bakery. It sounds kinda fancy for the baking that he does. And he's seen his fair share of modern bakeries; they're all sleek and shiny and machine-like, nothing like the one that Bucky's family owned when he was real little, before his ma and pop died. His ma was the one who taught him and his sister to bake in the first place, though that was so long ago he barely remembers her recipes. He can't remember what her bakery looked like, but he knows she would've scorned every bakery he's stepped foot into in New York.

He doesn't say anything more on the subject, and everyone else lets it drop in favor of being so tired it's taking everything they've got not to just fall asleep. But after a hot shower, some take out and ten hours of sleep in a huge bed with Tony and Steve, Bucky wakes up, gets dressed and heads out the door. He follows the address on the keys to a little storefront not a dozen doors down from the Tower. It's small, considering that Tony was the one who purchased it, but deep. Bucky presses his hands to the window and squints inside, realizing that - as promised - it looks like a blank canvas, just waiting for the right artist.

"You can go in if you want."

Bucky startles a little, though not as bad as he would have if he hadn't seen her reflection in the glass before she spoke. "I don't know if I'm going to do anything with it yet. Maybe I shouldn't."

Pepper laughs at him in the kindest way possible. "Tony bought you this. Tony, who is so desperate to make this relationship work that he asked me, JARVIS and Rhodey to remind him repeatedly about your six month anniversary. Tony, who looked at over twenty different bakeries in New York and New Jersey and was ready to buy out a bakery in Brooklyn before Rhodey convinced him you'd feel better about this one because it's closer. Tony, who was so excited to give you this that he couldn't wait until you were all rested; he had to do it at exactly one minute after midnight. But yes, please, do tell me more about how you're going to tell that Tony that you're not interested in his gift after all."

"I don't like you," Bucky says half-heartedly, already knowing that she's right. Tony won't say a damn word if Bucky doesn't want the bakery, but it will crush him. He looks back at the storefront.

She steps closer and pats his shoulder. "I know. Shall we go in?"

"Sure, why not?" he says with a sigh, producing the key from his pocket. He unlocks the front door and walks in with Pepper right behind him. The front of the space is both larger than he thought and empty. He looks around slowly, and in his mind's eye he can kind of see it: maybe a space for some booths and tables up front, with the counter and displays closer to the back. Or maybe the counter and displays should be on the right side of the room, so that people walking by can see exactly what for sale. The booths and tables could go on the left...

He spends a long time just walking around, and to her credit Pepper doesn't say a word when he finally ventures back into the kitchen. It's a baker's dream what with all of the high tech appliances, but really it's Bucky's dream because it's an exact replica of the Tower's kitchen. The only difference is that there's two extra stoves and two extra refrigerators, as well as a second freezer and a lot more counter space. He stands in the middle of the room and realizes that Tony wasn't joking when he said that the whole thing had been ripped out down to the frames and then rebuilt with Bucky in mind. He could bake something right now in this room with his eyes shut, because he's done the same thing at the Tower so many times.

And he knows, then and there, that he's going to make this bakery a success if it kills him, and when he looks around again Pepper is holding her phone up.

“I have the number of Tony’s interior designer here, as well as an excellent marketing team that can help get the word out, plus a high scale grocery that only carries the finest ingredients and delivers. Whenever you’re ready, just say the word and we can start.”

“I think I am,” Bucky says, surprised to hear the words coming out of his mouth. Even more surprised to find that he’s actually a little excited by the idea. Now that he’s standing here, it doesn’t seem so crazy. Funny how life with Tony is exactly like that. 

Pepper just smiles. She gets on the phone and calls up the interior designer, who turns out to be a petite, stunning woman named Alejandra. It’s no wonder Tony likes her; she’s a whirlwind. She’s at the bakery in less than twenty minutes, and within another two minutes she and Pepper have blueprints sprawled all over the floor and they’re both down on their hands and knees, heels discarded in the corner, pointing at every inch of space and spitting out words Bucky doesn’t understand like banquette and sconce.

Tony and Steve wander in about an hour after that, and Tony takes one look at the expression on Bucky’s face and starts laughing. “Oh honey, if you could see your face right now.”

Bucky glares at him. “This is less a gift and more torture, isn’t it?” he says, curbing his initial impulse to say the same thing he did to Pepper. It’s been six months, but he and Steve both know Tony still has a lot of insecurity about their relationship. Tony doesn’t seem to realize they know, and goes to ridiculous lengths to hide it – which really just makes it all the more obvious when he’s feeling that way, so Bucky isn’t going to protest, but sometimes it means watching what he says.

“Well no, but I guess I should’ve realized that letting Pepper loose to decorate something would be a mistake. She did the whole tower from top to bottom, and she likes to say she had to rein me in, but…” Tony glances at the women and winces. “Sorry.”

“I’m sure they’ll do a good job,” Steve says, wrapping a comforting arm around Bucky’s shoulders. “Have you thought about what you want it to look like?”

“I don’t really care how it looks. I just want it to be genuine,” says Bucky. “My ma had a bakery when I was a kid. She didn’t have much in the way of decorations, but people used to say it was homey. That’s why they liked coming there. She had an ice cream counter, so the place was always packed with kids after school and she adored making them anything they wanted. It was always warm and there was a little bell above the door that used to jingle when someone would come in…” He realizes he’s rambling and stops quickly.

Steve looks a little sad, but Tony, Pepper and Alejandra are all smiling. Alejandra sits back on her heels and says, “That sounds lovely, Mr. Barnes. My assistant has been looking into the bakeries in the surrounding area, and I can tell you with confidence that there’s nothing like what you’ve described in New York. If that’s what you want, I think we can make it happen.”

“Really?” Bucky says. “Doesn’t it need to be more…” He waves a hand, searching for the right word. Fortunately, Alejandra seems to understand.

“Retro is very in right now,” she says. “A lot of people find old-fashioned things quaint and charming. I’m not a baker, of course, so take this with a grain of salt, but if you go this decorating route my recommendation would be to go with a mixture of old and new when it comes to your food. That way, there will be something for everyone and I think that would be a very effective marketing tactic.”

The more she talks, the better it sounds. A lot of Bucky’s memories are hazy at best, but he’s pretty sure his ma would like the sound of this, too. “Could we have an ice cream counter?”

“It’s your bakery, Mr. Barnes. You can have whatever you want.”

Bucky’s gotten a lot better at making little, everyday decisions since escaping Hydra. But it took a long time for him to get to the point where he could even decide between toast or pancakes for breakfast, and honestly the thought of making so many decisions makes a cold sweat break out on the back of his neck. Steve hugs him a little tighter, and Tony takes mercy on him.

“Actually, I think we’ll leave the decorating in your hands. Pepper knows what we’re after, so she can help you make any decisions,” Tony says. “Bucky’s gonna be busy testing recipes, so he won’t really have the time for this kind of thing.”

“That’s fine with me,” says Pepper, putting her heels back on. 

Alejandra’s eyes are actually gleaming. “Excellent. Leave it all to us, Mr. Barnes.”

Tony sees her and Pepper out, leaving Bucky and Steve alone. Steve clears his throat once they’re gone, not looking at Bucky. “Are you sure you’re going to be able to handle this?” he asks quietly, but the words still sound too loud in the otherwise empty space. “I know this was a gift from Tony, but you’re not required to do it, Buck. You can tell him that it’s just too much and Tony will understand. You know he will.”

Bucky isn’t so sure about that, but it doesn’t matter. “No, I think I want to,” he says. He doesn’t know how to put it into words, but he likes the feeling he gets when someone eats a dessert he made. The smiles mean way more than any compliment, because each one feels like it chips off just a tiny, tiny bit of the winter that Hydra filled him with.

Steve hesitates, but finally nods. “Okay then. Anything you need, Tony and I will be here.”

“I would say I need taste testers, but apparently that job is taken.”

Finally, Steve laughs. “Yeah, I’d say Clint and Tony are all over that. But just don’t forget that Tony needs to be able to fit into the suit at the end of the day.”

“Are you calling me fat?” Tony demands, sticking his head back into the room and narrowing his eyes at Steve.

“Of course not,” Steve says, pulling an exaggeratedly innocent face. “You’re too small for that.”

Bucky snorts at the look of outrage on Tony’s face. Tony’s not really small exactly, but he’s about 5’9 without the lifts in his shoes and Bucky and Steve are both over six feet. Compared to a supersoldier, he does look tiny – but so would pretty much everyone else. Still, it’s something that never seems to cease annoying Tony.

“Just for that, you get to walk back to the tower,” Tony says, which is hardly a threat considering that the tower is like three minutes away, but Bucky doesn’t bother pointing that out.

“Actually, I’m going for a run.” Steve gives Bucky a quick kiss, then walks over Tony. Tony tries to dodge him, but Steve swoops him up in a big hug and peppers kisses all over his face until Tony, groaning and laughing at the same time, finally gives in.

“Get out of here, you asshole,” Tony says, finally shoving him away. “Bucky and I have _things to do_.”

“I’ll leave you to it.” Steve slaps him on the ass, garnering a squeak, and then heads out the door at a run before Tony can retaliate.

“Asshole,” Tony mutters again, but it’s impossible to miss the affection in his tone. He turns back to Bucky and raises his eyebrows. “Shall we?”

If pressed, Bucky will admit he doesn’t remember a whole lot about the next month – but it’s not because of Hydra. The days are a whirlwind of researching, buying ingredients, and baking. So much baking. He has a rough list of what he wants to sell in the bakery, but then he has to find recipes that can be recreated in larger quantities. And then he has to test several different varieties to see what comes out the best, which Clint in particular is thrilled about. And it seems like every time he turns around, he comes across something new that sounds delicious, and it doesn’t help that Clint keeps egging him on.

Finally, Coulson and Natasha step in. Coulson drags the bad influence – i.e., Clint – away, while Natasha sits Bucky down and helps him scale back the ridiculous list of desserts and pastries into something a little more manageable, pointing out that Bucky can rotate the menu whenever he wants, but that his staff has to have something straightforward to work from in the beginning. The mention of _staff_ makes Bucky cringe, and that topic is dropped – but it lingers in the back of his head.

The few moments that stand out in perfectly clarity are when he baked cookies that made Bruce throw up, the night he had a nightmare about giant pastry scones destroying New York (that was a hard one to explain), the day he discovered a recipe that tasted _exactly_ like his ma’s Black Forest Cherry Cake, and the night that Tony declared the bakery had to be christened properly, and dragged Steve and Bucky there at 3am for several hours of very imaginative, very hot sex.

Bucky’s pretty sure Tony had to pay those contractors a ludicrous amount of money to keep them quiet about what they walked in on. And then an even _more_ ludicrous amount of money to get professional cleaners there within the hour. The other side of it is that Steve can’t walk into the bakery now without blushing, so it’s a win-win as far as Tony is concerned.

It’s not an easy process by any stretch of the imagination; it takes a lot more work than Bucky expects, and one morning when he wakes up with his face in a pile of dough, he starts wondering whether or not it’s worth it. He hasn’t really spent the night in bed with his lovers in weeks, and he misses Tony and Steve. Especially Steve. Tony has been helping a lot, and not just as a taste tester, but Steve’s been weirdly distant lately and it’s just one more thing on Bucky’s already too long list of things to deal with at some point.

But then Tony walks him into the bakery for the first time and Bucky sees what it looks like, and his whole body goes so tight he can hardly breathe, because it’s perfect. The walls are pale red and the furniture is in warm shades of brown, and some of the equipment looks like it’s straight out of the 20’s, but there’s no doubt in his mind that it’s all brand new and probably state of the art. There’s his ice cream counter, and several display cases just waiting to showcase whatever he wants. 

“What do you think?” Tony asks, and when Bucky drags his eyes away to look at his soul mate, he sees the tension in Tony’s face for the first time. Tony wants him to like this so _badly_ , Bucky realizes with a start, and he wonders exactly how much work Tony has been pouring into this when Bucky was buried in the kitchen. Just how much of this was done with Tony’s hands?

“It’s perfect,” Bucky says, for once the words coming easily, and Tony lights up with a blinding smile. 

“Steve did all the painting,” he says eagerly. “And a lot of the artwork is his, too, though I had to fight with him about putting it up.”

“Where is Steve?” Bucky asks, which is unusual for him. It’s the first time in a long time he hasn’t kept close tabs on Steve. Normally he knows exactly where Steve and Tony are at any given time. It’s a comfort as much as it is strategic. It feels weird not to know.

For a moment, Tony’s smile flickers. “Back at the tower. I asked him if he wanted to come, but he said he was busy.”

Bucky frowns. “Is he okay?”

“He says he is,” says Tony, which they both know means very little. All of the Avengers are well versed at putting up masks. They share a concerned look.

“Maybe I’ll go talk to him later,” Bucky says. 

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Tony looks away, down at the ground, and doesn’t answer. When he lifts his head again, there’s a forced smile on his face. “All of your ingredients have arrived. Best quality we could find, including chocolate straight from Switzerland and Germany. Why don’t we go into the kitchen and you can have a look and see if we missed anything?”

It’s clearly a diversion, and not a very subtle one at that. Bucky scowls but allows Tony to lead him into the kitchen. Tony’s not kidding, it’s stocked to the brim with everything Bucky could want, and he can’t find a thing that’s missing. He stands in the middle of the room and feels a little chill of excitement, because this is really happening. In about a week, his bakery will be open for business and something he never in a million years thought would happen is going to be a reality. 

Tony’s watching him knowingly when Bucky looks at him, but all he says is, “Pep hired some staff for you. Darcy is going to be your office manager. We stole her from SHIELD; she’s scarily good at whipping people into shape. And it means that she can act as your go-between. Is that okay?”

“Yes,” Bucky says immediately, relieved. He doesn’t know Darcy well, but he is familiar with her from seeing her around the tower. She’s cheerful and smart and snarky, and she and Clint get on a little too well. 

“Now as for kitchen staff, we did have to hire a couple people to help you bake. You can’t do it all alone,” Tony adds apologetically. “But we vetted them thoroughly, okay? Like, super thoroughly.”

“How are their skills?” Bucky asks, suspicious.

Tony shrugs. “Clint ate their food.”

“Clint eats everything!”

Now Tony’s laughing. “Relax, babe. They had long resumes, and you’re going to meet them beforehand and see how it goes. It’ll be fine.” He steps closer, running his hands up Bucky’s arms to his shoulders. 

“I’ll take your word for it,” Bucky says, looking down at him. He loves how natural it feels to kiss Tony, to rest his hands on Tony’s hips and reel him in. Tony makes a low sound of contentment and eases closer, pressing his body against Bucky. When he tries to deepen the kiss, Bucky pulls away and shakes his head.

“We’re not going down that route again. Weren’t the inspectors just here?”

Tony pouts. “But Bucky…”

“No.”

“You’re mean,” Tony mutters, straightening his shirt. Bucky doesn’t even remember un-tucking it, though he must have. 

“No, I just don’t want you to have to pay anyone else off. And I know, I know, you’ve got lots of money,” he says, putting a stop to the automatic protest he can see coming clear as day. “That’s not the point.”

“Spoilsport. Fine. If you’re not going to fuck me on the table, I have a meeting downtown to get to.”

Bucky looks at the table and swallows, because he can picture Tony sprawled out on it and that would be delicious. It takes a hell of a lot of self control to make himself usher Tony out of the kitchen. They part ways in front of the bakery with one last lingering kiss, and Tony slips into one of his cars while Bucky walks back to the tower.

There’s no one around when he walks inside, but that’s fine. Bucky heads for the elevator and requests JARVIS to take him up to Steve’s floor. He wants to know what’s going on. He folds his arms, fingers tapping impatiently, until the doors open. He sees Steve immediately; his mate is sitting on the couch with a bag of popcorn, watching some old movie that features a girl in a tiny dress getting chased around a lot.

“Hey,” Bucky says cautiously. 

Steve startles. “Oh, hey,” he says, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “What’re you doing here?”

“I just came from the bakery with Tony. He was showing me all the work you did. It looks really good.”

Curiously, some of the happiness fades from Steve’s face. “Oh, yeah. Tony wanted me to contribute.”

“And you didn’t?” Bucky says, “want to contribute?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Steve says, and it’s a little too defensive, and it gets Bucky’s hackles up.

“Really, Steve? Because I’ve been working for weeks now to get this off the ground, and everyone else has helped in some way, and you’ve been more scarce now than you’ve been in your entire life. And the one thing you actually did do, Tony had to make you do it. What’s going on? Do you not want me to open the bakery?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then what is it?”

Steve doesn’t look at him. He stares at the ground. The longer the silence goes on, the angrier Bucky gets.

“I think,” he says in a low voice, “that maybe you liked it better when I was scared of my own shadow, jumping at everything and sticking to you like glue.”

“That’s not true. I can’t believe you would even say that,” Steve snaps.

“Well, what am I supposed to think? You spent tons of time with me then. But I haven’t seen you at all this past month. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you didn’t want me around anymore.”

Steve says nothing, and Bucky goes cold.

“Is that it?” he says, suddenly hollow. “You don’t want me anymore?”

Still nothing.

“Is it just me?” Bucky persists, because he has to know. “Or Tony too?”

Nothing.

“Damn it, Rogers! You’re fucking better than this,” Bucky swears. No wonder Tony looked so strange earlier. “I’m telling you right now. If you break Tony’s heart, Rhodey and Pepper won’t have the chance to get to you. I’ll kill you first.”

He waits, half-hoping Steve will _say_ something, even if it’s just to yell at him. This pressing silence is more aggravating than words ever could be. And when Steve still refuses to look at him, he loses it. He storms out, leaving Steve behind.


	2. Chapter 2

It's too early for it to be this hot. Steve pants a little as he makes it back under the shade of the tower, never more grateful for how tall it is and the shadow it casts than he is right now. He slows to a walk and then to a stop, wiping a hand across his forehead. That was easily the hardest run he’s ever put in. Normally he can run for miles without much effort; every second morning he gets up and does a good two or three before breaking a sweat. Today, though. It was like someone strapped 100lb weights to his feet.

He lingers outside the tower for a few minutes before entering, stretching absently, wanting nothing more than to just lay down on the ground and not move for the next several hours. But that’s like an open invitation for the media to show up, and besides s shower, food and bed in no particular order sounds fantastic. He’s not even that tired, but it feels like it took most of the energy he had just to get up and go for a run. The run itself zapped what little energy he had left. 

He eventually lets himself in, sighing as the cooler air washes across his skin, and pulls his soaked shirt off as he exits the elevator, mopping uselessly at his sweaty forehead. He's half-expecting to walk into pandemonium – bowls, whisks, batter and cooling racks of cookies, pastries and desserts on every available surface, and in the middle of it all, Bucky in a state of frenzied calm – but instead everything is sparkling clean and there’s only silence to greet him when he walks into the kitchen.

He frowns at the empty table and chairs, confusion switching over to concern when he spots the empty coffee pot on the counter. The fact that it's empty isn't worrying, as much as the fact that it's clean. Without fail, Tony and Clint - the two biggest coffee drinkers in the tower - never bother to clean it in the morning. That honor always falls to Steve, which means that no coffee has been drunk yet. And that’s unusual enough to get the hair lifted on the back of his neck.

"JARVIS, where is everyone?" he asks, baffled. He would've heard if they had been called for a mission, and the tower still seems to be in one piece -

"Agent Romanoff, Agent Coulson and Mr. Wilson are at SHIELD. Agent Barton is in the gym training, Doctor Banner is in his lab, and Sir and Sergeant Barnes are at the bakery," JARVIS answers. "Thor departed early this morning for Asgard, citing a need to check in with his father."

Steve nods, more focused on the middle portion of the information. He doesn't know why he didn't think of the bakery first. For the past month, either Bucky’s been here in the kitchen or he’s been at the bakery. Before, he and Bucky used to have to coax Tony out of the workshop at the end of the day. Now, it's Steve coaxing (and sometimes forcing) Tony out of the shop and Bucky out of the kitchen. He's starting to feel more like a wrangler of wayward toddlers than a valued partner.

No. No, he's really not. He pushes those thoughts away and grabs a bottle of orange juice out of the refrigerator. Of course Bucky is working hard. The bakery is important to him, and even with Tony's money footing the rent, Bucky still wants it to be a success. He's literally spent hours testing recipes and forcing the results on anyone fortunate enough to be within eating distance. Steve has no illusions that this will probably get worse when the bakery opens, not better.

It's just... Tony's basically working two jobs, one for Stark Industries and one as an Avenger, and now Bucky has the bakery occupying a lot of his time, so it leaves Steve feeling a little lost. Sometimes it seems like everyone in the tower has something to do. Natasha, Coulson and Clint all have their work with SHIELD. Thor has Asgard and Jane. Bruce has his experiments and Betty when she's in town. Sam has his work as a counselor with veterans. All of them are also Avengers, true, but they've got something more. Something Steve doesn't have.

He groans to himself, setting the half-empty bottle against his forehead. "I'm not going to do this," he says to the ceiling. "I am not going to let myself get jealous just because Bucky has his bakery. That would be a very stupid thing to do." Leaving aside, of course, that that’s exactly what he’s already done. He grimaces, trying not to think about his fight with Bucky. 

"Captain Rogers," JARVIS says, and if it's possible for an A.I. to sound kind, JARVIS is doing it.

"Yeah?"

"Sergeant Barnes and Sir are requesting your company at the bakery. Sir in particular seems to be very excited."

Steve’s pretty sure that’s a flat-out lie. Bucky hasn’t as much as looked in his direction in two days, and Tony’s been even busier with the bakery opening happening next week. “Thanks, JARVIS, but I think I’m going to go take a shower. I’m all sticky.”

“I’ll pass along the message.”

“Thanks,” Steve mutters again, finishing off his orange juice and chucking the bottle into the recycle bin. He takes the elevator up to his own floor and strips off his sweaty clothing, striding naked into the bathroom. He finds himself adjusting the temperature automatically to hot, because Tony can’t handle cold showers, and frowns before deliberately turning the water a little cooler.

He takes a very long shower, hoping the water will magically clear up his head, but it doesn’t work. He just feels even more tired when he gets out. Not even bothering to get dressed, he dries off and walks over to his bed. It’s been a while since he actually slept here; this is where he and Bucky slept before Tony became a part of their relationship, but ever since then they’ve been basically living on Tony’s floor. Tony’s bed is a step up from even a king-sized, completely customized, and between the three of them, they need it.

But he doesn’t feel right going up to that bed when things are so uneasy amongst the three of them, especially when it’s Steve who is causing the dissent. He doesn’t know why he feels this way, either. Why can’t he just be happy for Bucky? Why does he have to feel like he’s being left behind? Bucky and Tony love him, but more and more Steve feels so… inadequate. The only time he feels like he’s actually something worthwhile is when he’s out there being Captain America.

And it’s not like he wants Bucky to go back to being the confused, dangerous person he was back when they first brought the Winter Soldier back to the tower, either. That’s not the case at all, and it stings a little that Bucky would even think that. Steve is _so fucking proud_ of all the progress that Bucky has made. Because even though he wouldn’t have been willing to admit it at the time, there were times when he didn’t know if Bucky would be able to do it. If maybe Hydra’s claws had sunk too deep.

It’s just… some days it’s hard to see Bucky and know that he’s not the Bucky that Steve remembers. Everything’s different now, and Steve _gets_ that, he does, but sometime it just makes him miss the way things used to be even more. Peggy, the Howling Commandoes, the war. Life was easier when he woke up every morning knowing what his purpose was. Now he wakes up in the morning and his days are empty, and sometimes no amount of training his body can make him escape the memories.

Sometimes it’s just easier to lie in bed and not do anything but remember, or turn the television on to have some sound in the room while he spaces out. Today is a day for bed. He crawls in naked, listlessly pulling the covers over himself only because he knows going to sleep cold is just asking for a nightmare about the ice. The serum means that he doesn’t need the same amount of sleep as everyone else, but he closes his eyes anyway. Lies there for god knows how long before he feels the bed shifting beside him.

Tony, Steve knows without even looking, because Bucky’s a lot more graceful than that, and also he can see the blue of the arc reactor’s light brightening the room even with his eyes shut. He doesn’t move, curious to see what Tony will do, and is a little surprised when Tony scoots up behind him and wraps an arm across Steve’s belly. His hand falls over Steve’s ribs, where Bucky’s name is written. It’s no mistake, Steve knows that, and he can’t help tensing a little.

Tony, being Tony, doesn’t take the hint. Just hums a little and presses a kiss to the back of Steve’s next, curling in even closer, like a kitten seeking shelter from a storm. His voice, when he speaks, is soft. “Wanna tell me what’s going on?”

“Not particularly.”

“Let me rephrase that. I have one supersoldier trashing the brand new kitchen I just shelled out thousands of dollars for, and the other supersoldier is up here sulking in bed –”

“I’m not _sulking_ -”

“– and I’d really like to know how to fix it,” Tony says, speaking right over him. “Because that’s what I am, I’m a fixer, and I’m pretty sure you already knew that when you invited me into your bed. So go ahead, I’m waiting, let’s hear it.”

Steve grits his teeth rather than respond, wishing that Tony would just leave him alone. “I’m resting. Is that against the law now?”

“No, of course not.” Tony’s quiet for a few minutes, just breathing, and the sound is nice. He’s gotten used to sleeping with Bucky and Tony in the same room, and it feels weird to sleep by himself. He frees a hand from the covers and sets it over Tony's, squeezing, trying to apologize without words because he doesn’t know how to explain. Doesn’t even know how he’d begin, when just thinking about it makes his throat tighten with distress.

“Feel free to stop me if I’m completely wrong,” Tony says, because he never stays quiet for long, “but I don’t think that staying in your room alone is really the answer to whatever’s wrong. Take it from someone who regularly hides out in the workshop, Steve. This isn’t helping. Bucky’s pissed off, but you know he’s a teddy bear on the inside. If you just tell him what’s wrong –”

“I can’t,” Steve snaps, adrenaline coursing through him at the thought. He can only imagine how pathetic his mates would think he is. Because Steve has a damn good life, and he knows that. He’s Captain America and he regularly helps to save the world. He has two soulmates and they all love each other and their relationship actually _works_. He has friends and family and a place to live and nothing to be complaining about. Saying out loud that he’s feeling left out and lonely and bored is just dumb.

“You can’t,” Tony repeats, not mocking, sounding more thoughtful than anything. “Can you nod or shake your head when I ask you questions?”

It feels more than a little childlike, but Steve nods.

“Okay then. Are you okay with Bucky having the bakery?”

Nod.

“Are you mad at me for buying it without asking you first?”

He shakes his head.

“Are you happy for Bucky right now?”

Steve’s honestly not sure, but there is some happiness muddled up with everything else, so he finally nods.

Tony sighs against the back of his head. “Do you still love Bucky?”

He nods hard.

“And…” Tony sounds a little scared now. “Do you still love me?”

His head feels like it might fall off from how hard he nods, squeezing Tony’s hand even tighter. That’s not even in question.

“I love you too,” Tony whispers in relief, practically collapsing against Steve’s back. “But you are upset?”

A nod.

“Do you know why you’re upset?”

Steve hesitates again. He shakes his head, then nods.

“Conflicting response there, hon,” Tony says, but he’s laughing a little. “What are you doing tomorrow, Steve?”

That’s cheating, because it’s not a simple yes or no question. Steve settles on a shrug.

“And the next day?”

Another shrug.

“The day after?”

Third shrug.

“I see.” Tony sighs again. Then suddenly he’s a blur of movement, sitting up and scrambling on top of Steve, who rolls over and grabs at Tony’s hips to stabilize him. Tony smiles down at him, kind of soft and wicked at the same time in a way that never fails to make Steve hot, brown eyes twinkling. He touches Steve’s cheek, rubbing his thumb under Steve’s right eye. “Hey there, soldier.”

“Cheater,” Steve says.

“I’ve been hanging around Natasha and Clint too much, I know,” Tony says with a cheeky, unrepentant grin. "But what are you gonna do?"

Absolutely nothing, and they both know it. Steve just rolls his eyes and tugs until Tony gets the hint and sinks down against him for a big hug. He fits perfectly under Steve's chin, not that Steve will ever be able to point that out, because if he does then this will never happen again. Tony grumbles a little, knowing what Steve's thinking, but makes himself comfortable. 

"Bucky loves you too," Tony says cautiously, like he's not sure if he's crossing a line.

Steve doesn't answer. He lets his eyes close and focuses on relaxing each muscle in his body until his breathing is deep and it looks like he's sleeping - a trick that he learned during the war whenever he needed a little time to himself. Tony squirms out of his embrace some time later, and Steve feels a ghost of a kiss being pressed to his temple before the bed shifts again as Tony slips out of the room.

No doubt Tony talks to Bucky about their (one-sided) conversation, but Bucky doesn't come to Steve again and Steve doesn't try to talk to him either. The team dinner that night is awkward; Bucky completely ignores Steve and focuses on talking to Clint and Natasha about recipes for the bakery. Tony is sitting between Bucky and Steve, all smiles that fade away to something deeply sad when he thinks no one's looking. Steve is resistant to any attempts to draw him into conversation and eats as quickly as he can.

When he goes to leave, no one follows him. And he's really not surprised when neither Bucky nor Tony try to get him to come to bed, not that he deserves it. He sits on the couch and watches more television, but the hours drag and he doesn't know how to fill them. When he first woke up from the ice, his time was occupied by learning about the future. Then there was clean-up after the Battle of New York, and then SHIELD and Bucky. He's never had this much empty time. It's unsettling.

He tries to draw for a while, but doesn't get anywhere, and finally gives it up for the elephant in the room. The boxes that Tony put there, most of the dusty with years of being untouched, all of them waiting for him to go through them. Steve drags them over to the couch one by one, then sits down and pries open the first box. 

Some of the contents aren't overly useful to him: Howard's notes, scattered though they might be, on Project Rebirth, and Steve's touched that Tony gave them to him. There're also notes on all the variations of shields that Howard had come up with, as well as information about his old uniform. All of it redundant now, because even the best of what Howard had to offer is nothing compared to what Tony has created on his worst day. He sets all of it aside.

Midway through the second box Steve comes across some pictures, and it makes his stomach hurt to look at them. A couple are of Peggy by herself. One photograph shows her marching across the compound, obviously ready to tear a strip off some poor solider. The other is more posed; she's in her uniform and her hair is just set, with no wisps hanging around her face. She's not smiling, not exactly, yet there's something in the lift of her chin that says she might smile soon.

"I miss you, Peg," Steve says to the picture, touching the curve of her cheek. Peggy's name had never appeared anywhere on his body, so they weren't compatible as soulmates. Even though he had Bucky, it was always a little bit of a blow to him. Peggy was _so_ amazing. It would've been an honor to have her name, to have proof that a little of her amazingness might belong to Steve.

He's pretty sure his name never appeared on her either, though of course he couldn't ask. Maybe there just wasn't enough time. She did ask for that dance, and maybe while they were spinning around the floor (or, more likely, while Steve was tripping all over the place and Peggy was trying not to laugh outright) there might have been something. Maybe. 

He touches his ribs, where Bucky's name is written. It's been there for as long as Steve can remember, having appeared at some point when he was seven years old. Even after Bucky fell from the train, it never faded or disappeared the way some names do. To this day, it's as bright and fresh as Tony's name. He lifts his shirt a little to look, just to check, and still.

Bucky was okay with Peggy in a way a lot of people wouldn't be, but he didn't like Peggy the way Steve did. He certainly wouldn't have loved her the way Bucky loves Tony. Steve is so much better off now than he could have ever imagined, and he's sitting here fucking it all up. In the darkness of Peggy's eyes, he's pretty sure she's condemning him something awful.

"If you were here, you'd tell me what an idiot I am," he says, carefully setting the two photos aside. Underneath he finds more: several of Howard's old creations, group shots of the Howling Commandoes, a photo of General Philips and Peggy together, some of just Bucky and Steve (and god, they look so _young_ ), and then one precious shot of everyone together. Steve doesn't remember the day it was taken, and he doesn't know how long he sits there staring at it, but his face is wet with tears when he finally sets the photographs aside.

In the rest of the boxes, he finds some of his and Bucky's old stuff. Things that Steve can't believe Howard bothered to keep, like an old photograph of Steve's mom and another of Bucky's family. He puts that one aside to give to Bucky as soon as possible. He also finds some scraps of papers with doodles on them. Things Steve would've sketched here and there on off days. None of his sketchbooks, though. And then there's some clothing, including their old uniforms, which is in surprisingly good shape considering it's been over seventy years, and some other odds and ends that, for whatever reason, Howard decided to save.

There's not a lot, but then Steve had next to nothing by the time he actually managed to enlist. Bucky was gone, and it was pretty much impossible to hold down a room by himself. It wasn't like there was much opportunity for income. Then, when he was travelling around doing the stage shows, there wasn't much room to pack. There was even less room once he actually made it to the front. You had what you could carry on your back, and even for a supersoldier, space was limited.

He sits in silence for a little while, looking over the remains of a life that he still misses a hell of a lot. Sometimes it feels like he's the only who does. Bucky remembers more now, but he'll probably never get all of his memories back. He also has seventy years of brainwashing and pretty horrible memories in the middle. So Bucky doesn't like to talk about it a lot. It's understandable, but also lonely.

"JARVIS," Steve says, almost startled by the sound of his own voice. "What are Bucky and Tony doing?"

"They are in bed, Captain Rogers."

"Can I see them?"

By way of answer, the television turns itself off and shows Bucky and Tony in the bed that Steve usually shares with them. Neither one is asleep, though. Tony is lying on his side, facing away. Bucky's on his back with his eyes shut, but - as though sensing that Steve is watching - he suddenly sits up. He says something to Tony, the angle too awkward for Steve to read his lips, and sulks out of the room.

Left alone in the bed, Tony looks small and alone. He sits up too, rubbing his eyes, and looks around at the empty bed like he's expecting answers to be written on the bare sheets. Steve's heart aches. It's the first time Tony has been alone in the bed at night without Steve or Bucky or both of them since he was rescued, but what hurts the most is that Tony doesn't look surprised. Just resigned and very tiredas he reaches out to grab a tablet from the bedside table drawer. The movement makes the strap of his tank top slide down, and the 'S' in Steve's name is just visible.

Steve's door opens and closes, and a moment later Natasha nimbly vaults over the back of the couch and sinks down beside him. "JARVIS told us," she says around a yawn when Steve looks at her, and nods at the screen. 

Clint has made it into the picture, Phil in tow. Tony is talking to them with that expression on his face that means he's being outright sassy, and clearly Phil gets tired of it, because he steals the tablet right out of Tony's hands. Tony's expression changes to outrage, but Clint throws himself on the bed and drags Tony down with him and by the time Phil joins them (having safely set the tablet out of reach), Tony is scowling but no longer fighting. Phil makes a gesture at the camera and it shuts off.

"Bucky?" Steve asks, not sure whether he should be grateful or embarrassed that apparently the team has a plan for when he and his mates get into a fight.

"Bruce," Natasha supplies, kicking her feet up on the coffee table. "Tony likes to cuddle, not that he'll ever admit it out loud. He loves touch. Bucky either likes to fight or bake, and he's done enough of both lately, so Bruce can talk him into meditating and it'll calm them both down."

"And me?"

Natasha shoots him an unconcerned look, stretching in a way that highlights her body. "You need to be taken out of your own head. Normally I'd kick your ass, but tonight I've already had my workout." Her smile is slow and satisfied.

Steve tries, and fails, not to blush.

She just smirks at him. "You do know it's a good thing not to spend every moment of the day together, right?" she says. "I love Clint and Phil, but if they didn't have their own interests, I'd have murdered them both years ago."

"I know," Steve says, and he's back to defensive. 

But Natasha's never taken well to bullshit, and she says, "And I know that you wouldn't want Bucky to be dependent on you all the time, but I also know that it's hard when suddenly all your days are empty. I had to get used to having a life when I first became a part of SHIELD. There was a hell of a lot of minutes in a day, and I was barred from pretty much everything but my room so I had to figure out how to fill them."

"What did you do?"

"You remember those hats that Clint likes to wear in the winter?"

"The ones Tony teases him about?" Steve says.

"I made them."

"You knit?"

"I crochet, too," Natasha says, looking amused. "And I write sometimes, songs mostly, for the guitar. I like working with my fingers. I also like ballet and yoga, but SHIELD's restrictions were too tight even for those at first. The first hat I ever knit for Clint was a god awful shade of lime green and it was too small, but the dork wore it anyway. I make him a new one every year."

"I draw," Steve offers, and she nods encouragingly.

"Yeah, and you're good at it. But you can't just have one hobby, either. Or it's going to get pretty boring." She pats him on the shoulder. "Captain America's life is going pretty great. Maybe now's the time to focus on Steve Rogers and what he wants."

Steve's eyes are drawn back to the television almost immediately. He already knows what he wants. He wants Bucky to be happy and not bothered by the memories of Hydra, and he really does want the bakery to be a success. He wants Tony to understand how much he's loved, and believe that he'll never be abandoned. He wants to sleep in the same bed as his soulmates and not feel jealous when the morning comes.

He wants to wake up in the morning and feel like he's got something to do, some kind of purpose, and just because Tony and Bucky are way ahead of him on that point doesn't mean he gets to throw a tantrum like a little kid.

"I fucked up," he says quietly.

Natasha leans against him. She's warm, and her red hair spills over his shoulder like a blanket. "Yeah, you did, but I'm pretty sure they love you anyway."


	3. Chapter 3

Tomorrow is supposed to be the grand opening of the bakery. When Tony signed the deed for the building, he was imagining that it would be a very exciting day. The whole team would be there to share in the occasion, the bakery would be crammed with customers, and the whole thing would be a complete success.

Instead, Bucky’s pissed off. Steve’s pissed off. None of this is going the way Tony planned, and he can’t stop dwelling on just how badly he’s managed to fuck things up. 

“It’s not your fault, Tony,” Pepper says, sounding at once weary and affectionate. 

Tony looks up from where he’s been staring mournfully at his phone. He makes no attempt to hide the picture of Steve and Bucky that’s on the screen, because he’s pretty sure Pepper already knows exactly what he’s looking at. “Yes, it is. If I hadn’t bought Bucky the bakery –”

“This probably would’ve happened down the road,” Pepper points out. She ruffles through the papers in her hands, sighs, and sets the whole stack aside. Tony puts down his phone and looks up at her in confusion. He’s completely unprepared for Pepper to slide her heels off and sit down sideways on his lap. He freezes, hands outstretched, because this hasn’t happened since they broke up and he’s not really sure where he’s allowed to put his hands.

Pepper is smiling when she cups his face, tipping their foreheads together, but her voice is firm. “This is _not_ your fault, okay? I have the feeling that Steve has been headed this way for a while. It was only a matter of time before Bucky found something that interested him, regardless of whether you bought him the bakery or not. You may have made it happen a little faster, but you can’t take all of the blame.”

“I just want to fix it,” Tony says mournfully, gingerly setting his hands on her lower back. She’s warm and her dress is soft under his fingers, and he has to fight back the urge to put his head on her shoulder.

“I know you do. But Steve and Bucky are adults who are capable of doing that themselves.”

“You have met them, right? This is Captain Stubborn and his close friend, Sergeant Pigheaded we’re talking about.”

She smirks. “Yes. There’s a reason those two are a perfect match for you.”

“I’m wounded, Pep. Deeply wounded.”

“You’ll get over it. Just don’t do anything rash, okay?”

“I won’t,” Tony promises. They sit in silence for a few minutes while his brain ticks along, and then he says, “Maybe I should enroll Steve in art school.”

“Tony!”

“What?”

Pepper just rolls her eyes. “No art school. Didn’t you tell me Steve draws all the time? Besides, he might not feel comfortable being around so many students right now.”

“Online art school?”

“No, Tony.”

Tony pouts. There has to be _something_ he can do. He keeps thinking about it long after Pepper leaves, and it’s only when he’s flying home that an idea hits him. It’s a _brilliant_ idea if he does say so himself, and he immediately has JARVIS get Sam Wilson on the line. It takes a little bit of convincing, but Sam agrees to the idea pretty readily and even seems to think it might help. 

Within the span of twenty-four hours, JARVIS has done a search of the city, located an appropriate building with the right address, and Tony becomes the proud owner of a rundown gym that is in desperate need of some TLC. He calls in Alejandra and Pepper (staunchly ignoring Pepper’s objections) and then goes to hunt down Steve. Not surprisingly, he finds Steve in the communal gym absolutely _wailing_ on a punching bag. Tony stands there watching for a few minutes, admiring the play of muscles under Steve’s glistening skin, before speaking.

"I got you something.”

Steve jumps and just barely dodges the backwards swing of the bag. He’s panting a little as he turns around and stares at Tony. "You what? Tony, you have to stop buying us gifts."

"You don't even know what it is yet!" Tony protests, folding his arms across his chest. Pepper told him this was how Steve would react, and he hates admitting that she's right. His stomach churns with nerves for the first time since he had his brilliant idea. Maybe he should've run this by Steve first instead of assuming that Steve would be okay with it. Maybe this kind of impulsive decision-making will be the straw that breaks the camel's back - 

"Okay," Steve says. "What is it?"

Tony is halfway to telling him to never mind when he gets a good look at Steve. Sees exactly what he's been seeing for weeks now: the fine lines in Steve's face, the tension in his jaw, the weariness in his eyes. Anyone else would think that's from fatigue, but Tony knows otherwise. Steve is like Howard, much as Tony hates to compare the two: neither of them can sit still. They always need to be doing _something_. Too much free time is letting Steve dwell on things better left forgotten, and that steels Tony's resolve. Even if Steve hates him, it'll be worthwhile.

"I bought you an old gym," he says in a rush, pulling a set of keys out of his pocket and brandishing them in front of Steve's stunned face. "It’s registered under the name Grant Carbonell, so that no one will put two and two together unless you want them to. So if you want to keep a low profile, no one will know. And I’ve already got Sam on board, so between the two of you, you’ll be able to get things up and running by the time school starts.”

"You what?" Looking dazed, Steve shuffles closer and takes the keys, staring at them.

"You seem lost lately. Nothing against _you_ , it's just - you were adjusting to New York, and then you had to focus on helping Bucky. Now that both of you are relatively okay, you need something to fill the gap. Just like Bucky did." Tony shrugs one shoulder, dropping his gaze to the ground. Part of the reason he bought Bucky the bakery was to get him out of the tower on a regular basis. The gym will do the same for Steve, but he's not about to admit that out loud.

“You can set it up however you want, but I was thinking you could run an afterschool program and teach kids how to fight. Especially kids like you used to be, scrappy little shits who get into fights in back allies.” Tony tries to smile at the floor, but he’s pretty sure it comes off more like a grimace. “Sliding scale, of course. You can charge nothing at all if you want. You own the building and I don’t mind paying for the power and water and whatever else you might need. You might even be able to get other teachers to agree to donate their time, if you’re interested in adding forms of fighting other than boxing. I don’t recommend teaching an entire generation of children to kill people with their thighs, but if that’s what you really want…” He’s rambling now, and he forces himself to stop.

"Tony…"

There are too many emotions in that one word to accurately tell what he's thinking, and Tony doesn't dare look up. "I know you told me to stop being so impulsive, and Pepper said I need to stop buying people bakeries - which, this is not a bakery, but I'm guessing she probably has this kind of thing up there on the list with bakeries, because she said you would be upset and feel like I'm overstepping my - Steve!"

That last word emerges as a startled squeak, as Steve has yanked him into an unexpected hug. Tony remains tense for all of two seconds, but slowly relaxes when he realizes that Steve is just hugging him. He cautiously brings his arms up and hugs Steve back. It feels like it's been forever since Steve really hugged him, and it feels so good. He doesn’t even care that Steve is all sweaty, which means his suit (which cost nearly as much as the gym) is now ruined.

"Thank you," Steve says hoarsely. "I mean, I wish you had talked to me first, but - I needed this. I've been so wrapped up in myself lately. And I can't help feeling like Bucky and I have put you in the middle of this dumb fight. Tony, I'm sorry."

"No apologies necessary," Tony murmurs, even though the words help to partially ease the knot in his chest. "You don't have to do anything with it if you don’t want to. I won’t be mad. I just thought it would be something you'd enjoy. Something that gets you out of the tower and is totally unrelated to Avengers business. You need that, Steve. And you _do_ deserve it, no matter what you think."

Steve laughs a little, the sound suspiciously damp, and says, "I don't think I deserve much of anything after the way I've been acting lately."

Tony shrugs again and nestles even closer. "I guess not even Captain America can be perfect at everything all the time." He says it lightly, but he means it. He knows what it’s like to try and live up to the perfect mantle of Captain America; it’s pretty much impossible. 

“I guess not,” Steve agrees, sighing. “Thank you.”

“You already said that,” Tony points out, a little uncomfortable in the face of such genuine gratitude. “Can you – will you make up with Bucky now? Clint hogs the bed, and Coulson snores. I miss my supersoldier heaters.”

Steve looks like at him like he knows the real reason why Tony wants them to make up. Like he knows that Tony is terrified of ending up alone; like he knows that Tony has spent the past month thinking that the three of them are going to break up and Bucky and Steve will go their separate ways entirely. It’s scary enough that it’s crept into his nightmares, and now – when he does manage to fall asleep – he dreams about being kidnapped and having no one come for him.

“Yeah,” Steve says finally, touching the side of Tony’s face. His expression goes all soft and gentle, making Tony’s knees a bit weak. “I was already thinking about how I was gonna do that. Think he’ll forgive me?”

Tony shrugs. “Till the end of the line, right? I don’t think he’ll let this stand in his way.” What he doesn’t say is that he knows Bucky’s been having just as hard of a time with this as Steve. Any pleasure Bucky found in the bakery has been temporarily spoiled by this fight, to the point where Tony’s been wondering whether he should talk to Darcy about putting off the grand opening.

He squeezes Steve and takes a step back. “You should go make up with him now. No time like the present, right? I’m pretty sure he’s downstairs in the kitchen.”

“You won’t come?”

“This is between you guys, Steve,” Tony says gently. "I don't want to be in the middle of it anymore." He doesn't mean it to be cruel, and feels a little guilty when Steve winces. He puts on his best smile. "Go on. Go save the kitchen before Bucky loses his temper because none of his cupcakes are coming out the way he wants them to."

Steve lingers just long enough to give Tony a sweet kiss before heading out of the gym, grabbing his towel as he walks out. Tony lets his shoulders slump as soon as Steve is gone, feeling the weight of several weeks of worry and a few too many sleepless nights crashing into him all at once. Even with Clint and Phil in the bed, he’s had a difficult time sleeping. It's both amazing and frightening how quickly he's become accustomed to sleeping in between his soulmates.

He meant what he said to Steve, but Tony is by no means an unselfish person. He takes the elevator up to his own floor, and as he drags off his ruined jacket and throws it recklessly on the floor, he says, "J, show me what's going on in the kitchen."

"Are you sure that's wise?" JARVIS asks, sassy to the end.

"Probably not, but I want to see anyway. I have to know." Tony dumps his shirt on the floor too, heart suddenly racing. If he's wrong and Steve and Bucky can't make up, he's pretty sure that's going to be the end of the three of them. And it might even be the end of the Avengers. He can't sit here in blissful ignorance while that's happening; he has to _know_ , if only so that he can come up with the appropriate reaction before facing anyone else.

JARVIS obediently turns on the television screen. Steve is just reaching the kitchen and he looks nervous as hell. For a moment, both he and Tony just stare at Bucky. Bucky looks about as good as Steve does, which is to say that he could benefit from a good night's sleep and a healthy meal or two. The bakery has been consuming him and it's not even open yet. The slightly manic look in Bucky's eyes as he picks up a tray of cupcakes that are just a hair darker than they should be and tosses them in the trash speaks volumes. Tony winces, patting his grumbling stomach sadly, and sinks down onto the couch.

"Buck," Steve says finally, and Bucky doesn't startle, which means he knew Steve was there. Of course he did. "If your ma were here, she'd tan your hide for wasting that food."

"Really?" Bucky says with a snort, picking up a bowl and stirring just a little too viciously. "That's what you're going with?"

Steve sighs, pushing off the doorframe and crossing the distance between them. "I love you. I love Tony. I'm sorry."

Those eight words make all the difference in the world. Bucky stops, staring down at the batter with an expression that breaks Tony's heart, at once frustrated and wistful. "You can't just say that and expect it to make it all better, punk," he says, though with noticeably less anger. 

"I know. There's really no excuse for how I've been acting. I -" Here Steve stops and take a breath, like the words are painful to force out. "I was jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Of you. And the bakery. It sounds dumb. It _is_ dumb. I just - Tony's got his work, and now you have this, and what do I have?" Steve spreads his arms. "I have nothing up until the moment when the alarm goes off. I spend every day just waiting to be Captain America."

The side of the glass bowl, where Bucky’s holding it just a little too tight, cracks. Silence reigns as both men stare at the bowl, and then Bucky groans and tosses it in the trash after the cupcakes. "You're such a fucking idiot, Steve. Do you know how many things there are to do now? Have you looked at - god, at anything? There's a whole world out there beyond the tower and SHIELD, you know. You were the one who introduced me to most of it! Why didn't you take your own advice?"

Steve's face turns red. "I don't know. I guess it never occurred to me."

"So instead you sulked around and picked a fight with me and upset Tony for no reason," Bucky says, and Tony shifts uncomfortably.

"You upset him too! At least I've been here at the tower with him, You've been spending all your free time at the bakery."

"Because he wants me to like it!"

"Well I want that too, but I also want to see my boyfriend once in a while!"

"You have a funny way of showing it!"

"Oh my fucking god," Tony says under his breath. He can't believe he's actually watching them have this fight. Thank god no one else is around. This is just embarrassing.

"I just told you I'm sorry!" Steve yells.

"You don't sound like you're sorry! I hope you apologized better to Tony!"

"I apologized to Tony just fine!"

"Then get over here and apologize to me like you mean it!" Bucky shouts back. There's a pause during which they both blink, like they're reassessing the situation, and then Steve clicks into gear and marches over. He grabs Bucky, flour-stained apron and all, bends him backwards, and gives him the kind of kiss that makes it hard to tell whether they're kissing or fighting.

“Idiots,” Tony tells the television, trying to ignore how relieved he feels. “You’re both idiots, and I can’t believe I’m dating you.”

They kiss for a little while, until Steve pulls back and sets Bucky upright. “I am so proud of how far you’ve come,” he tells Bucky. “I want you to have the bakery, and I will do everything I can to make it a success. I never want you to go back to how you were when we first got you back from Hydra. You have to know that, Buck.”

“I do. That was a low blow,” Bucky admits. 

“What we have now, especially with Tony, is everything I could ever want,” Steve says, and the sincerity in his face and voice is undeniable. “I want you both forever.”

“Well, that’s good. Because now that you’ve got your head out of your ass, I guess I want you too,” Bucky replies. “I can’t speak for Tony. If he were smart, he’d dump us both.”

Tony snorts out loud at that. Bucky and Steve are the best thing that ever happened to him, and he’s going to hold onto them both for as long as he possibly can. 

“Let’s hope he never wises up then,” says Steve. “Are we… good now?”

“Yeah, we’re good. But you better never pull this kind of stunt again, Steve. I mean it. Next time you got a problem, you open your damn mouth and tell us about it instead of picking a fight.”

“I will,” Steve promises. “Till the end of the line, right?”

“Oh, that reminds me.” Bucky gropes for his phone, which is covered in god knows what – Tony cringes at the sight of the unidentifiable blobs of goo that Bucky makes a half-hearted attempt at wiping off – and fiddles with it for a few seconds before showing Steve the screen. 

Tony knows what Steve is seeing. He hasn’t been to the bakery in weeks, so he hasn’t seen what it looks like now that the exterior has been remodeled and the sign - the one that reads 'End of the Line Bakery' - is up. He takes one look at the tears welling up in Steve’s eyes and, uncomfortable at watching something so clearly intimate, says, “That’s enough, J. Off.”

“As you wish,” JARVIS says, and the screen goes dark. “Shall I have Dummy prepare you a cup of coffee, sir?”

“No. I think I’ll lay down for a while.” 

“Very good,” JARVIS says approvingly.

Tony stands up, swaying a little. Now that he’s actually had the chance to sit d for a few minutes, the adrenaline is definitely gone and a hard sweep of exhaustion is settling in. He stumbles into the bedroom, shedding his trousers along the way, and falls into the bed. The sheets have been freshly changed, but somehow the pillows still smell like Bucky and Steve. It’s a comforting scent, and Tony buries his face as JARVIS darkens the lights in the room and draws the black-out curtains across the window.

He doesn’t fall asleep, but by the time the mattress sinks beside him on either side, he’s not really awake either. A broad hand splays across his back and Tony mumbles something unintelligible into the pillow. He recognizes the coolness of that hand; it’s Bucky. A moment later, lips are pressing against the part of his cheek that’s not pressed into the pillows. Steve.

“Are you awake?” Steve whispers.

“No.”

Bucky chuckles. “That sounds more like a yes.”

Tony tilts his head just enough to be able to look up at Steve, then glances at Bucky. The remaining tension in his chest slowly drains away when he sees the identical spark in their eyes; there’s a happiness there now that wasn’t there a couple of hours ago, and it’s a relief to see it. 

“I take it you’ve sorted yourselves out since you’re both here,” he says, muffling a yawn with the back of his hand.

“Yeah, we have. Now we’re trying to figure out how to make it up to you.”

“Make it up to me?” Tony echoes, blinking. Maybe he fell asleep after all. “What do you mean?”

“I caused a fight,” Steve reminds him, taking Tony’s hand. “I should’ve said something, even if it was just that I needed some time to myself. Throwing a tantrum, as Bucky so eloquently put it, wasn’t the right choice to make. I should know better.”

“And I’ve been ignoring you both,” Bucky says, looking a little guilty. 

“The bakery is important –” Tony starts, but Bucky’s finger presses against his mouth to silence him.

“It is important, but not as important as you and Steve. I got a little obsessed.”

“But I do the same thing,” Tony protests.

“I know. That doesn’t make it okay for me to do it. At least you have the excuse of working on new inventions that keep the team safe, or that keep your company in business. I need to learn some perspective. Maybe we all do," Bucky amends, replacing his finger with his mouth. It's a very quick kiss, and leaves Tony wanting so much more. He pouts when Bucky pulls back.

"You don't need to make it up to me," he says to them both, meaning it. It's enough that they're here with him. "Just - make the bakery a success, and make your gym awesome. That's all I want." He wants Bucky and Steve to be happy, in other words, and maybe some of that soaks through his voice because they both kiss him on the cheek at the same time.

It's mushy and embarrassing all at the same time and Tony is unbelievably grateful for the lack of lighting, because he can't help blushing. 

Steve squeezes his hand. "I plan to. And I promise - next time something's bothering me, I'll say something. I think it's something we should all work on."

"Nothing's bothering me," Tony points out. As far as he's concerned, life is now pretty much perfect, and since Bucky and Steve have resolved their fight, there's no reason to keep talking about it. He flops back down and stretches from head to toe, then gropes weakly in Steve's direction while whining plaintively.

"You are an actual child sometimes," Bucky says, rolling his eyes, but he's smiling at the same time, and he and Steve both strip down and then curl up around him; Bucky hugs Tony's back to his chest, like Tony's a giant teddy bear, and Steve wraps his arms around the both of them. Tony immediately starts sweating, because the two of them throw off heat like nobody's business, and Bucky's knee is jabbing into his calf, but it's so fucking perfect he doesn't care.

It's the best night sleep Tony's had in weeks, and of course it's ruined when JARVIS wakes them up seconds before Darcy practically kicks the door in. Tony knows he made the right decision in hiring her to be the manager of the bakery when she barely stops to ogle the three mostly naked men in bed; instead, she marches over, grabs Bucky by the ear, and pulls him off the bed and out of the room, all without saying a single word. Bucky goes along with her, looking so befuddled that Tony can't help cracking up. 

"Do you think we should bring him some pants?" he asks Steve, still laughing.

Steve just shakes his head in amusement. "I'm not sure Bucky is ready to cook in just his boxers, so yes. But first... are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Tony goes to roll off the bed, but Steve stops him with a hand to his arm. He puts his other hand on Tony's cheek and just _looks_ at him for several long, stomach-churning seconds.

"I love you," Steve says, very quietly. "I'm sorry."

Oh, wow. Tony's not even sure how he's supposed to answer that when his throat has gone that tight. He swallows hard. "Love you too," he manages after a moment, tense, trying hard to look Steve in the eye. His stomach goes all tight and warm when Steve just kisses him, slow and sweet, for so long that Tony's legs are weak when he finally stands up.

Natasha ruins any ideas of a shower with just the two of them, walking into the room not seconds later. "You're late."

"It's not my bakery," Tony says.

She pins him with a Look.

Tony holds his hands up. "You know what, I'm just going to get dressed now."

"Wise choice," Natasha says, crossing her arms with a satisfied smirk.

Opening day is a rousing success. Tony hasn't seen this many people lined up since the last release of a new Starkphone. Darcy and Pepper have been making the most of social media, and - when Bruce opens the doors - the line stretches for nearly half a block. It's a constant stream of people in and out, to the point where Natasha and Coulson end up helping out behind the counter. Clint makes a run to the nearest art store, and he and Steve set up a little table to do face paint with the kids.

Tony sits at the counter, one hand on his phone, mostly preoccupied with watching his lovers. He has the perfect vantage point to watch Steve when his vision isn't being blocked by Thor carrying kids around, but if he cranes his neck he can also see Bucky, who's so deep into the baking zone that Tony's pretty sure he has no idea that there's even people in the store. Both of them look completely content for the first time in weeks, and it warms Tony down to his core.

He startles a little when an arm wraps around his shoulders, but it's just Pepper, holding a chocolate milkshake. She smiles at him and says, "Good job."

"Thanks," Tony says, a little embarrassed, but mostly fond. He's never been so grateful that Pepper stuck around even after they broke up. His life would be a true train wreck without her. "Steve was pleased about the gym, by the way, so you owe me a hundred dollars."

"I never actually accepted that bet, so no, I don't," Pepper replies, taking a sip of her shake.

Tony eyes it. "Shouldn't that be strawberry?" He can't help laughing when she slaps him on the shoulder, and much to his surprise, both Steve and Bucky look up at the sound. Their identical looks of affection are enough to make Tony smile in a way that, he's sure, is unbearably sappy.

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


End file.
